Merry Christmas

I have a couple of projects to share that I finished over the last week.  I completed this "Starry Night" Stonehenge Kit.  The kit came with everything - the tree panel, backing & binding fabric, batting, Swarovski crystals and battery operated LED lights. It is a really quick project.  After quilting, I made small buttonholes according to the light placement diagram and glued on the crystals.

You can see I added a small pocket to hold the battery pack, and a rod pocket out of the extra fabric on the panel.

It adds a nice festive glow in our hallway.  The only criticism I have is that with all the wires on the back it doesn't hang quite as nice and flat as I would like.  Nolan cut a thicker than normal hanging rod which helps a little.  It isn't perfect, but I can live with it.

I had won these four half yards of blue and yellow batiks (on left)  from Sew Sisters Quilt Shop back in the spring on their In my Sewing Room Blog (they host lots of giveaways) and I finally found the perfect project for them.  I found two coordinating batiks from my stash so that I could make a gift for a special quilting friend and one for me!

I saw this awesome sewing machine apron pattern on Craftsy and thought it was the perfect thing for all the UFO days and retreats we go to.  I think the detachable thread catcher was what really sold me on the pattern.

The gift.

One for me.

Now before I go and spend some quality time in the kitchen with the girls creating our traditional Christmas Eve appetizer feast, I want to take a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Hope your holiday is happy and warm!

Lori

Not Your Mother's Rail Fence #2

Here is a look at a "Not Your Mother's Rail Fence" quilt that I just completed for Fabriculous - a great (semi) local quilt store. Wendy at Fabriculous has just expanded her offerings to include more batiks (yeah!) and we thought this Highway 10 Designs pattern would be the perfect way to celebrate them.

The quilt is batik front and back.  I used a shiny plum Magnifico thread on the top, and a new panto called "Tickle Too".  I think it is going to become a fast favorite!

 As I was out photographing this quilt I noticed the rabbit highway in our back yard going from our RV to the garden.

Real Studio Tour - Storage Solutions

Today marks week two of the REAL Studio Tour hosted by Vicki Welsh of Field Trips in Fiber.  Today we are asked to share some of our best storage solutions.  My favorite thing is shallow drawers.

I will be the first to admit that I am kind of spoiled when it comes to getting custom built items in my sewing area.  This cutting table was made just for me by my dear hubby.  It was constructed when I had a really tiny sewing spot and made to be expandable and movable.

 It has two wings that open up to almost 8', which is great for cutting out large pattern pieces for garment sewing.  It also contains these great drawers which keep most of my notions organized and easily accessible.

 These powder coated steel toolbox trays are available from Lee Valley tools. I also have some in my sewing machine table.

I also have this custom build that houses a little bit of everything. Those blue trays used to store VHS tapes and were destined for the landfill when things went digital. They became drawers that I used to store projects and my smaller fabric pieces. I try to keep things organized by color and in a single layer to make it easier to see what I have.  The re-purposing works wonderfully for me!

 I find things are more likely to get put back where they belong if they are in a drawers rather than a container with a lid.  I love having my thread out of the dust and the light as well, so this dresser drawer works great to house a portion of my longarm thread.

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out what everyone else is sharing on the REAL Studio tour.

Ginseng

This quilt belongs to Gwen.  All of the fabric comes from Northcott's Geisha Fabric line.  The colors are rich and all have gold metallic highlights on them.

The Ginseng panto and gold Magnifico thread were the perfect fit. 

 Because the backing fabric was black and gold metallic I used a black batting as I didn't want to risk any white batting lint.

 

Thanks Gwen, it was a pleasure to work with you!

Scrappy Squares

This cheerful quilt belongs to Lori.  I am not much of a scrap quilter myself, but I love seeing what someone can create with all those little bits leftover from past projects.  Lori used a fusible gird when she pieced this one.  This is what the back looked like before I got in on the machine. 

The top was a little firmer than normal with the fusible product on the back, but once it was I loaded I did not notice any difference at all.  Lori requested the Quilter's Dream Puff batting to keep the quilt soft and light,  and it sure shows off the texture of the quilting nicely!

This is the "Come Dance With Me" panto, and I used a green So Fine! thread similar to the backing and inner border.

4" squares - simple and effective!

Real Studio Tour - Non Traditional Tool

Today is the first day of Vicki Welsh's REAL Studio Tour.  Today we are asked to share a non-traditional quilting tool that we use - one that you wouldn't find at a quilt store.  This is a tool that I have permanently "borrowed" from my husband -  A Drywall Square.

It is made of aluminum and really lightweight so it is easy to handle. They aren't particularly expensive either (less than $20). Batting comes folded on the roll, so the 48" length is perfect to make sure I am cutting off a square piece. It would certainly be helpful with packaged batting as well.

 
Take some time to check out what everyone else is sharing at Field Trips in Fiber - the REAL Studio Tour.




I also wanted to share that the paper copies of our latest pattern have arrived and are available in the Highway 10 Designs Etsy Shop, or directly from Kathy or myself.

Turning Twenty x2!

This lovely pair of Turning Twenty lap quilts belong to Shelly. This first with the snowman squares was quilted with the Flirtatious panto and a medium gold So Fine thread, as I wanted the thread to blend in over the snowman faces.

This second version was quilted with the Swinging On a Star Panto.  I decided to use a gold Magnifico thread on this one.  The shine of the thread gives that extra sparkle that is perfect on a Christmas quilt.  Both have Quilter's Dream Blend Batting.

Isn't this backing cheerful?

Happy Holidays Tree Skirt #2

This is another tree skirt made by Cheri, this time for her daughter Carmen.  Carmen requested fabric with words on it, and Cheri found these cute coordinates. 

Cheri requested an all over design for this one, so a mix of holly, berries, curls and ribbons it was.

Painting is complete in our living room. Here is one in progress shot.  I had a hard time picking a color for the fireplace wall. It was a little scary committing, but I was assured that we could paint over it we didn't like it, so we went bold.

  

I am very happy with the result, and surprised how little time it took me to get used to such a bold color. I think it is a big improvement over what we had before. Now we are working on adding a wood mantle to the stone fireplace.  We are trying to decide on proportions, and think we might make it a little thinner.

Now I have to decide on a color to stain it.  Nolan stained some off cuts with the variety of stains we have on hand. I think I know what I like, but I always second guess myself.